Charles D’Ambrosio
is the author of two books of fiction, The Point and Other Stories and The Dead Fish Museum and the essay collections Orphans and Loitering: New & Collected Essays.
Master Class
Charles D’Ambrosio
Online
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Registration is now closed for this class.
The Supposed Self
When I state myself, as the Representative of the Verse—it does not mean—me—but a supposed person. —Emily Dickinson
Never to be yourself and yet always—that is the problem. —Virginia Woolf
It’s been said that the law of the innermost form of the personal essay is heresy, and if that’s true, if the form itself is heretical, if it resists orthodoxy, then what can I say as a teacher that doesn’t involve burning witches? Let’s don’t do that; instead, let’s be witches together. In this class we’ll create a kind of essayistic space and do all our discovering together, exploring one of the form’s central mysteries.
Who is the self that speaks in a personal essay? In many of the essays I love, there often seems to be a self who undergoes the original experience, and another self, a supposed and supposing self, who returns to write about it. And they’re not exactly the same, I don’t think. We’ll explore the connection between those two selves, the person and the persona, and try to complicate it. We’ll look coldly at the self as a compositional resource, something to construct with care. How do we get beyond the poor ragged self with its meager bundle of biographical facts? How much self is too much, when is it intruding on the situation? How do we handle the “I”—that slender and sly pronoun—and the wide shadow it casts?
Most of the time I think of the self as a snare and I don’t like being trapped in it. I try to reach out beyond my pittance of experience and connect to the world and for that I need a self that’s me and yet not quite. How does that even work? We’ll talk about masks and muses, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, comedy and poetry, all the while digging down into the theater of the self, or selves, that whole quarrelsome and unresolvable drama at the center of our being. Participants will receive a packet of essays in which a central theme will be the self at risk. And we’ll make our merry way with a mix of brief lectures, close reading, and lively discussion.
Course Schedule
Saturday, March 5, 2022
3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
1 session
Online on Zoom
Where are the master classes and workshops located?
Currently, all master classes and most workshops are held online on Zoom.
I registered but did not receive a link. What do I do?
Details for your class, including any reading assignments and the Zoom link, will be sent one week prior to the start date—to the email account connected to your registration. Please write .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you would like to be contacted at a different email, or with any additional questions.
Can I receive a recording of a past or upcoming workshop or class?
No. The only way to attend a master class or workshop is live.
Is closed captioning available?
Yes. Otter.ai live notes are available for all master classes held on Zoom, and on a case-by-case basis for workshops. (If you have registered for a workshop, please write .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to request closed captioning.) To view the notes, look for the red LIVE dropdown menu in the top left of your Zoom screen and select View Stream on Otter.ai.
Are scholarships available?
Scholarships are available for all master classes and afternoon talks. Scholarships are not currently offered for workshops. To apply, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject “Scholarship Application” and include 1) a short statement outlining your interest in this class, and how a scholarship would benefit you as a writer or a reader; and 2) a short bio. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis.
The Master Class or workshop I want to join is sold out. Is there a waitlist?
Yes. Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to be added to the waitlist for an upcoming master class or workshop.
I signed up for a class but can't make it. Can I be refunded?
Full refunds are offered if requested at least two weeks prior to the start date of the class. After that, before the start date, we are able to offer a 50% refund. Refunds are not offered for day-of cancellations, or after a workshop has started. To cancel your registration, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
But I signed up for a class after the cut-off point for a full refund had passed. Can I still be eligible for a full refund?
No. Please be aware of the cancellation policy upon registration.
I'd like to transfer my registration to someone else. Is this possible?
Yes. That is very generous of you! Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Does the registration fee for in-person workshops that are part of Spring at Kaatsbaan cover accommodation and/or travel to Kaatsbaan?
No. The registration fee for Spring at Kaatsbaan in-person workshops only covers the cost of attending the workshop. If you do not live locally, the Weekend Writers’ Retreat with A Public Space in the fall may be a better option for you.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your enrollment in an Academy class, please let us know as soon as possible. We can only offer full refunds if you cancel two weeks prior to the start of class. After that, before the start date of class, we can offer a 50% refund. We cannot refund day-of cancellations, and we cannot refund or partially refund tuition once the class has begun.